Tag: mental health

23 July 2024
employee counselling • interpersonal counselling • mental health • mental health at work • relationship breakdown counselling • relationship counselling • relationship support • workplace counselling • workplace mental health • workplace relationship counselling •

Employee Counselling Update: The Rising Impact of Personal Relationship Difficulties on Workplace Mental Health and Performance

In recent months, there has been a very sharp increase in the number of employees seeking workplace counselling support for personal relationship problems, including infidelities, abusive behaviours, separations and divorce. This represents a shift away from burnout as the primary reason for employees seeking workplace counselling, and highlights yet another legacy of the pandemic – the detrimental impact on intimate relationships.

Experiencing difficulties and endings in our personal relationships often has a deeply emotional and distressing impact on all parts of our lives. Our intimate partners and our shared experiences with them are something we often rely on for permanence, stability and certainty.  When our relationships go through turbulence or come to an end, we can be left with feelings of loss, anger, guilt, anxiety and despair.

Whilst these issues have traditionally been seen as the preserve of the “personal” rather than “professional” sphere, there is increasing understanding that it is very difficult to separate from such emotionally overwhelming matters when we are trying to work.  

Employees who are going through relationship breakdown are more likely to experience symptoms of stress, anxiety, insomnia and clinical depression, in addition to financial worries and the impact of relationship breakdown on children and other family members.  This is burden enough to manage, on top of professional and workplace responsibilities which can be even more challenging in the midst of crisis.  A lack of focus and concentration, low self-esteem and emotional swings make it hard for people to engage in their work, creating a vicious circle that can contribute to overwhelm, exhaustion and mental health issues.

This is where our specialist workplace counselling service can offer your employees a safety net and support structure for their mental wellbeing and provide tools to improve their ability to focus and be effective at work, boosting their self-esteem and confidence.

Whilst many EAPs are turning away employees who are struggling with important issues such as relationship breakdown, our specialist workplace counselling service is well-equipped to support all employees and their wide range of issues and needs.  

Our Workplace Counselling Team are fully qualified counselling psychotherapists – with at least 10 years post-qualification experience in supporting employee mental health and wellbeing.

Our Workplace Counselling Services are available on a regular or ad hoc basis. For further information see https://wellbeing.partners/employee-counselling/ or complete the form below:

17 July 2024
BBC • employee counselling • employee mental health • mental health • mental health at work • workplace counselling •

Confidentiality is non-negotiable: A response to the new BBC allegations against the UK’s largest EAP

Client confidentiality is at the heart of counselling.  It is the foundation of the counsellor-client relationship and without the trust that it enshrines, mental health support is dangerously undermined and ethically compromised.

Confidentiality helps to make counselling a safe experience, and offers the freedom for individuals to discuss issues, both personal and professional, certain that what they are disclosing is protected by confidentiality.

A new set of revelations from the BBC concerning disturbing breaches of confidentiality at a major EAP, as well as having unqualified individuals offering mental health guidance in professional settings, are practices that we at Wellbeing Partners would never engage in.

Lou Campbell, counselling psychotherapist and director of Wellbeing Partners says:

“We pride ourselves on offering high-quality, professional workplace counselling at Wellbeing Partners. Our counselling and wellbeing sessions are rooted in non-negotiable levels of confidentiality in line with the ethical framework of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy. All our counsellors and mental health professionals are members of the BACP and adhere to its ethical framework, and every one of us has at least 10 years post-qualification experience”

https://wellbeing.partners/employee-counselling/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cxee3glz2pyo
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-68537252

If you have any questions about our workplace counselling service or our ethics and code of conduct, please complete the form below

28 June 2024
employee counselling • employee mental health • employee wellbeing • mental health • mental health at work • neurodivergence • neurodivergent support • workplace counselling •

Workplace Counselling from Wellbeing Partners: A Comprehensive and Timely Service

Wellbeing Partners’ comprehensive in-house workplace counselling service provides the fastest and most effective solution for supporting the individual mental health needs of your employees, in your workplace or online.

The biggest challenge to supporting employee mental health is the reality that existing structures are not coping, with organisations across the UK finding their EAP services unable to meet demand.  Many private medical insurers having waiting lists of more than 3 months for accessing mental health services and the NHS is completely overwhelmed with millions of adults on waiting lists of 18 months or longer, even for acute mental health issues.

This perfect storm of growing mental health issues and a huge upsurge in burnout across society combined with a lack of provision from the usual mental health support services is leaving employees without the support they need.

Wellbeing Partners’ In-House Counselling services is an efficient, effective and compassionate response to these issues and the mental health requirements of your employees. Here are the main reasons why:

We are not an EAP: Wellbeing Partners In-House Workplace Counselling Service is pay-as-you-use service (not a subscription model) that allows great flexibility for organisations and fast access to mental health support for employees.

Our Service is Comprehensive: Our counsellors offer broad mental health support that goes beyond parameters set by EAPs, where employees can be turned away if their issues are deemed too small or too complex to meet the threshold for workplace mental health support.  Our workplace counselling service covers all areas of mental health and wellbeing, including anxiety, depression, insomnia and disturbed sleep, emotional dysregulation, burnout, bereavement, interpersonal difficulties at work or home and more. We also offer counselling on specialist areas such as menopause-related mental health, neurodivergent-related mental health, senior leadership mental health, all in a safe and confidential environment.

Your Own Team of Mental Health Professionals: Your organisation will be assigned a small and dedicated team of fully qualified and highly experienced counsellors who get to know your staff and are accessible at any time they are needed. Sessions can be offered in-person in your workplace, or online via secure video platform.

New Trend, New Approach: Responding to the mental health crisis requires a dynamic approach.  In house-counselling is the emergent trend in workplace mental health, one that we have been offering for many years with a large and growing list of workplace clients. Our in-house counselling service is refined, effective and offers dedicated one-to-one appointments with staff in-person or online to fit with their busy schedules.

Training and Experience: Wellbeing Partners are experts at providing mental health and wellbeing support in professional settings.  This is because we source and employ experts in their fields.  All our counsellors are BACP registered and with at least 10 years’ post-qualification experience. They also all have extensive experience of providing counselling and wellbeing coaching in professional settings and combine unrivalled training and experience that meets your needs.

Prevention, Performance and Confidence: Our broad approach to challenges in In-House Counselling means that smaller issues can be prevented from developing into crises and more complex issues.  Our counselling services focus on creating the framework and confidence that people need to maintain their mental health once the sessions are concluded, reducing likelihood of later relapses. In-House Workplace Counselling is not a luxury, but an intelligent, supportive and economical response to mental health issues. It offers both short and long-term gains for individuals and organisations.

If you would like to learn more about our workplace counselling services, either complete the form below or click here – Employee Counselling

18 June 2024
bereavement at work • bereavement counselling • employee counselling • employee mental health • employee wellbeing • mental health • workplace bereavement counselling • workplace counselling •

Workplace Counselling: Employee Bereavement

The use of workplace counselling is usually associated with helping the workforce manage stress, anxiety and feeling burnt out.  And while these are common and important issues that require attention, this understanding of the role of workplace counselling can be limiting and means that important issues can be overlooked.  One such issue – employee bereavement – is often not considered in the employee counselling provision and is perhaps even seen as taboo topic for workplace discussion.

Bereavement is something we will all face but the impact it has on our work is a topic that is often kept at arm’s length.  A grave face and well-meaning phrases like “I’m sorry for your loss” or “if there is anything I can do…” are frequently the extent of the support offered at work, which can leave employees feeling unsupported. 

More than half of employees have said they would leave their current role if they did not receive adequate support for a bereavement, and a third of line managers would welcome more support for bereaved colleagues[i].  It is clear that employees and workplaces benefit from ensuring that those suffering bereavement have access to professional bereavement counselling during a fragile and emotionally distressing time.

Bereavement can bleed into all aspects of life, not least our work.  Grief is powerful and unpredictable. It can cause sleep deprivation, disassociation, flashbacks, and powerful emotions including sadness, anger, shock and guilt.  It can change the way we work, affect our concentration, diminish engagement and efficacy, sometimes making even the simplest of tasks seem like insurmountable challenges.  It can also impact how we relate to our colleagues and our clients, with issues around isolation, anger and fear affecting our interactions.  Without professional support, grief can continue for prolonged periods, impacting the individual and the organisation.

Offering bereavement counselling for employees is an empathetic, intelligent and economical response to mental health issues that can accompany grief.  Our Bereavement Counselling Team all have extensive post BACP Qualification experience of supporting people through bereavement in the working environment. These specialist counsellors create a professional and safe space where employees can open up about their feelings, offering concrete means for individuals to process their grief whilst also building frameworks that allow reengagement with their work.

Bereavement Counselling Services are available on a regular or ad hoc basis and if you would like further information, please us at [email protected] or complete the form below:

[i] https://www.mariecurie.org.uk/help/support/bereaved-family-friends/work/employer-resources/research-data-bereavement-work

4 June 2024
employee counselling • employee mental health • employee wellbeing • mental health • senior leadership • senior leadership coaching • senior leadership counselling • workplace counselling •

WORKPLACE COUNSELLING FOR SENIOR LEADERSHIP

Senior leadership roles demand a steady and calm demeanour, providing guidance under immense pressure. While the financial and status rewards of these positions can be significant, the relentless demands often create dangerous levels of stress—a serious issue that leaders themselves frequently overlook.

C-Suite executives are expected to be paragons of leadership. They must make critical decisions that shape their organisations, manage diverse teams, and drive individuals to reach their potential, all while striving for their own professional goals. Despite these unceasing demands, the understandable instances of stress and burnout often remain hidden. Over half of leaders report experiencing burnout[i], and a staggering 75% have considered leaving their role due to stress[ii]. Yet, the topic of C-Suite mental health remains taboo, with many leaders reluctant to seek help or even acknowledge the need for it.

At Wellbeing Partners, we have been providing mental health and wellbeing support to senior leaders in many organisations for over a decade. Our experience indicates that the best way to address the mental health needs of those with significant responsibilities is through a specialist counselling and mental wellbeing support service tailored to their unique challenges, which include burnout, chronic stress, overwhelm, insomnia, personal life and parenting issues, anxiety, depression, alcohol and substance misuse, neurodivergence, and interpersonal difficulties.

We understand that Senior Leadership Counselling and mental wellbeing sessions must be directly accessible, offer a fast response, maintain complete confidentiality, and provide relatable and practical support. Our team of highly qualified counselling psychotherapists possesses extensive experience in supporting leaders and addressing the common mental health and wellbeing issues they face.

For senior leaders and their HR/People support team, recognising that confidential mental health support is not a luxury but a necessity is crucial. Making decisions that support businesses and teams is an everyday part of a senior leader’s role, but the immense pressure and responsibility can and does take its toll over time. All workplaces have a duty of care to the mental health and wellbeing of their leaders too.

To learn more about our Senior Leadership Counselling service and our short masterclass, “Mental Health for Leaders,” please contact us at [email protected] or complete the form below:

[i] https://hbr.org/2023/05/more-than-50-of-managers-feel-burned-out

[ii] https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/topics/talent/workplace-well-being-research.html

8 May 2024
loneliness • loneliness awareness week • mens health • mental health •

Loneliness Awareness Week and Men’s Health Week

This June sees the confluence of two awareness weeks that seem unrelated at first glance but are actually closely intwined.  Both Loneliness Awareness Week and Men’s Health Week run from 10th – 16th June and both deserve our attention, personally and professionally.

One of the enduring legacies of the pandemic is an enduring sense of loneliness and disconnection across large swathes of society.  The pandemic triggered a mass movement to home-based working and, for many employees, an isolated existence.  Hybrid working has cemented this lifestyle for many and has made it difficult to rebuild social and professional bonds. This is having a worrying impact on employee mental health.

People who experience extended feelings of loneliness, personal or professional, often suffer increased levels of stress, anxiety and depression as well as being more prone to suicide. Loneliness detrimentally effects cardiovascular health, undermines healthy sleep and increases chances of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s.  On an organisational level too, isolation has seen a downturn in productivity and an increase in worker burnout.

This is obviously concerning for all, but especially for men who are often resistant to asking for help, leaving both physical and mental health issues to fester.  This is worrying enough without the added health pressures brought on through feelings of loneliness.

As Lou Campbell, Wellbeing Partners Programme Director and Counselling Psychotherapist, notes

“Male health, both mental and physical, is still a subject that is avoided by many.  Illnesses that could be stopped in their tracks and dealt with whilst still manageable are more likely to become serious, as men choose to ignore or “tough out” their symptoms. The increased issue of emotional isolation is only adding to the reticence to talk as find it difficult to admit to feeling vulnerable.”

And this is something that we can no longer just ignore.  Men commonly die earlier, become ill at a younger age and experience more chronic illnesses than women[i].  Health issues develop into life threatening cases when they could have been managed earlier, as demonstrated in the statistic that in the UK men are more likely than women to experience and die from heart disease and illness,[ii] in part because they ignore symptoms.

The attitudes of ignoring or “toughing out” also impacts male mental health. 40% of men have never spoken to someone about their mental health challenges[iii] and ¾ of suicides in the UK are male[iv].  These problems are only being exacerbated by the experience of loneliness and rather than talk about this or seek professional help, many men rely on unhelpful coping mechanisms like alcohol and recreational drug usage, further damaging their health.

This June is the perfect opportunity to support workplace mental health as we continue to navigate issues of loneliness and disconnection, but to especially offer our male members of staff an environment where these issues can be discussed in a non-judgemental and supportive way.  It is time to stop seeing loneliness as a passing phase and to treat it with the respect it deserves.  As individuals and organisations, we will all benefit.

Suggested workplace initiatives to increase awareness and provide tips and advice for your employees:

Men’s Health: a 60-minute live and interactive workshop to increase awareness of the types of health and wellbeing issues that commonly affect men, and how to tackle them effectively.

Men’s Mental Health: a 60-minute workshop that normalises discussion of male mental health, the challenges men can face and practical and supportive solutions for responding to these difficulties.

Improving Connection and Belonging – In this 60-minute session themes of loneliness and disconnection are explained in the context of their impact on physical and mental health, offering a wide range of practical ways to improve connection.

Taming the Inner Critic: This 60-minute interactive workshop focuses on helping develop resilience in the face of life’s challenges, showing how this essential quality can be cultivated through supportive techniques.

Mindfulness for Men: In this session, mindfulness is explored through the lens of the physical and mental health challenges men experience, offering an accessible way into practicing mindfulness to help manage these issues.

Employee Counselling: in your workplace or online, specialist mental health professionals provide confidential one to one support for your employees around any mental health or wellbeing topics they want to discuss with a highly experienced workplace counsellor.

Getting Started

[i] bmj.com

[ii] bhf.org.uk

[iii] priorygroup.com

[iv] ons.gov.uk

2 May 2024
mental health • mindfulness • mindfulness at work •

Why it is time to revisit the benefits of mindfulness in the workplace

Workplace mindfulness is back on the agenda for most major organisations as they look for a sustainable, cost effective and successful approach to supporting employee mental health whilst also boosting engagement, productivity and job satisfaction. 

The 2024 Burnout Report[i] highlighted that in the past year 91% of UK adults reported extreme stress, with nearly a third saying they “frequently” experienced these high levels of stress.  Furthermore, 1 in 5 UK workers having taken time off work for stress in the last 12 months.  This is not only detrimental to productivity, but absence through stress can also make the individual feel like they cannot cope and worsen the cycle of stress and absenteeism.

This is where mindfulness at work comes in. Mindfulness is evidence-based and offers a treasure-trove of benefits to the individual and the organisation.  It can help those suffering to alleviate their stress, develop resilience and regular mindfulness practice helps alleviate personal and professional stressors before they become overwhelming.

Just some of the workplace-boosting benefits include:

Reducing stress and boosting resilience: Mindfulness reduces stress, anxiety and depression symptoms and even decreases the size of the “fight or flight” part of the brain, making people more resilient and less reactive in the face of stressors.  This is essential for employee mental health whilst also helping reduce absenteeism and presenteeism as well as bolstering engagement and productivity at work, even in challenging and stressful times.

Improvements in focus, memory and problem-solving skills: People who regularly engage in mindfulness practice show consistent improvements in concentration and memory function, skills that are undermined by stress and burnout.  These improvements enhance problem-solving skills and are key to individual performance in the workplace, helping employees engage and produce creative responses to challenges posed by work.

Improved Decision-Making Skills: Making difficult decisions is an essential workplace skill, one that is enhanced by mindfulness. People who practice mindfulness report improved confidence in decision-making whilst further research highlighted that it helps employees be more methodical in their approach to challenges and gathering information in order to make decisions.  Regular meditators are also more willing to accept feedback about their decisions rather than interpreting it as criticism.

Increased commitment and satisfaction at work: Research has shown that mindfulness practice contributes to people being able to follow tasks to completion and with fewer errors. Also, satisfaction in the workplace tends to be higher among mindfulness practitioners, brining benefits for the individual and organisation.

Enhanced Emotional Intelligence and Communication Skills: Repeatedly studies into mindfulness show that it improves social relationships, reducing conflict and enhancing empathy for others. Employees who practice mindfulness are more reflexive in their responses and have better interpersonal relationships with colleagues, things that organisations rely on to function effectively.

Happier Workers: A regular mindfulness practice brings a host of health benefits including better sleep, improved physical health and improved immune response. People who have improved health tend to cooperate better with others, be calmer and are more likely to be settled and happy in the workplace.

With all these benefits, do not be the organisation that gets left behind.  In-house or online mindfulness sessions, courses and workshops are an excellent way to bring mindfulness and its resultant benefits into the workplace.  You have nothing to lose but so much to gain if you do.

For more information see our Mindfulness Services

Getting Started

[i] https://euc7zxtct58.exactdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/19145241/Mental-Health-UK_The-Burnout-Report-2024.pdf

1 May 2024
EAP • employee counselling • employee mental health • mental health • mental health at work • mental health awareness • workplace counselling •

Growth in specialist employee counselling service highlights shift away from EAP services

This year has seen the rapid growth in uptake of the in-house employee counselling services provided by Wellbeing Partners as companies organisations across the UK look for effective and sustainable approaches to supporting employee mental health.

This growth of workplace counselling reflects not only the acceptance of the need for organisations to support mental health at work, but also the realities that we face as employees and organisations in an uncertain world.

The past few years have been challenging to say the least.  The background uncertainty created by living through a pandemic, global insecurity as well as financial and environmental problems adds to the pressures of our personal and professional lives and the ongoing sense of flux has impacted not only the way we work, but our ability carry out our work effectively.

Here in the UK, the NHS mental health provision is experiencing unprecedented demand, with record requests for mental health services. Additionally, EAPs that were not created to cope with such levels of demand, are struggling and often failing to provide the necessary support for employee mental health issues. The inability of EAPs to cope has a knock-on effect, further burdening an already overstretched mental health service, and leaving employees with nowhere to turn for help.

A new approach is required, one that puts the needs of employee mental health at its core.  At Wellbeing Partners we believe that utilising our Workplace Counselling services is an efficient, effective and compassionate response to these issues and the workplace mental health demands of your team. Here are the main reasons why.

We are not an EAP: Wellbeing Partners are excellently positioned to offer the support that is needed and are set up to cope with demand in a way the EAPs are not. We are a dedicated service that has the skills, experience and personnel to realise what solution best fits the challenges faced by organisations.  Our Employee Counselling is a non-subscription, pay-as-you-use service that allows a greater flexibility for organisations and quicker access to mental health support for employees.

New Trend, New Approach: Responding to the mental health crisis requires a dynamic approach. Employee counselling is the emergent trend in workplace mental health, one that we have been using for many years with our clients. Our workplace counselling service is refined, effective and offers dedicated one-to-one appointments with staff in house or online to fit with their busy schedules.

Training and Experience: Wellbeing Partners are experts at providing workplace mental health and wellbeing support.  This is because we source and employee experts in their fields.  All our counsellors are BACP certified and, crucially, have at least 10 years’ experience in the field. They also all have extensive experience of providing employee counselling in professional settings and combine unrivalled training and experience that meets your needs.

Accessibility of Mental Health Support: Our Workplace Counselling offers a broad service that sees no problem as too big or too small.  EAPs find that because of demands placed on them they have to turn people away. Sometimes this is because their requests are deemed too small to meet the threshold for mental health support, or conversely, they are too big or complicated for the support they can offer. At Wellbeing Partners we welcome all employee mental health problems, offering a forum and safe environment for people to work through their challenges.

Prevention, Performance and Confidence: Our broad approach to challenges through our Workplace Counselling means that smaller issues can be dealt with before they develop into crises.  It means bigger problems get the timely support required to help people overcome them.  It increases people’s ability to engage in the workplace, to perform, whilst also receiving much needed support.  Our counselling also focuses on creating the framework and confidence that people need to maintain their mental health once the sessions are concluded, reducing likelihood of later relapses.

Employee Counselling is not a luxury, but an intelligent, supportive and economical response to mental health issues. It offers both short and long-term gains for individuals and organisations.  You may find it useful to introduce regular employee counselling sessions for employees, each led by a multi-qualified specialist.  Alternatively urgent employee mental health sessions can be booked on a case-by-case basis, providing a cost-effective, high-quality alternative to the more familiar EAP approach.

Learn more about our Employee Counselling services

Getting Started

18 April 2024
Lou Campbell • mental health • neurodiversity •

Neurodivergence and Mental Health – come to our workshop at the Watercooler event next week

Our programmes director Lou Campbell is a guest speaker at the Watercooler Event next week and is talking on the topic of Supporting the Mental Health of Neurodivergent Employees on both days. Her speaking slots are on Tuesday 23rd April at 3pm and again on Wednesday 24th April at 11.45am.  More information about the talk is below. If you would like to receive free entry to the Watercooler event on either date to see Lou speak, please get in touch!

Supporting the mental health of neurodivergent employees

Neurodivergence is not a mental health issue. However, neurodivergent employees can be at a much higher risk of mental health issues, particularly if employers are unaware of the factors that can cause detriment to the wellbeing of employees with autism, ADHD, dyslexia and more neurodivergent conditions. This session is presented by Lou Campbell, a fully qualified workplace mental health professional, who specialises in supporting the mental health of neurodivergent employees.

This workshop will provide:

·        A range of tips for helping your neurodivergent colleagues thrive at work

·        Advice on what to do if your neurodivergent colleagues are struggling with their mental wellbeing

To book your ticket visit https://www.watercoolerevent.com

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17 July 2024
BBC • employee counselling • employee mental health • mental health • mental health at work • workplace counselling •

Confidentiality is non-negotiable: A response to the new BBC allegations against the UK’s largest EAP

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